This Twice-Baked Barbecue Chicken Is Juicy and Crisp

You can start this dish in the morning, refrigerate the chicken, and then grill the chicken pieces just before serving. Diane Rossen Worthington/TNS

I love traditional American barbecued chicken and its sticky, sweet sauce. I wanted to give it a summer accent, so I prepared a peachy mustard marinade to tenderize and flavor the chicken. A mix of peach nectar and fresh peach are added to the simple marinade for a fruity layer of flavor. You’ll have some peach barbecue sauce leftover, so save it to mix with a salad dressing and turn any leftover chicken into a fabulous salad.

This chicken is first marinated and then tightly covered and baked, or almost steamed. Once it is baked, the cooked marinade juices are added to the barbecue sauce. Finally, right before serving, the chicken is barbecued to allow the skin to become crisp and dark brown. Cooking it in this fashion keeps the chicken moist on the inside and golden brown on the outside.

You can start this dish in the morning, refrigerate the chicken, and then grill the chicken pieces just before serving. Remember to bring the chicken back to room temperature before grilling it. By first baking the chicken ahead of time, it will take less time to finish cooking on the grill and be extra juicy. This is a great recipe for a picnic if a grill is available. Serve this with corn on the cob or a corn and tomato salad. Cold beer or rose would be a good beverage to accompany the chicken.

Peachy Twice-Baked Barbecued Chicken

Serves 6

For the marinade:

• 1 medium shallot
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup peach nectar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium orange or white peach, cut into 2-inch chunks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:

• 6 medium chicken breasts or thighs, skin and bone attached
• 3/4 cup favorite bottled barbecue sauce

1. In a food processor chop the shallot and garlic until minced. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and pulse until pureed. Taste for seasoning.

2. Arrange chicken pieces in a shallow, large nonaluminum dish like a Pyrex and pour the marinade evenly over the chicken to coat it well. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for 2-8 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Remove chicken from refrigerator, cover pan with foil very tightly, and bake for about 35 minutes or until juices run clear. (This technique steams the chicken, so it remains moist.)

4. Bring to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until grilling. Add the juices from the roasting pan, whisk together the barbecue sauce and reserve.

5. A half hour before serving, prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Place the chicken on the barbecue and grill, basting with the sauce, for about 10 to15 minutes, turning once, or until the skin is very crisp and brown. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

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